Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ACTIVE CONTAINER WITH DATA BRIDGING
100011 Bluetootht used throughout the description is a registered trademark
of
Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 5209 Lake Washington Boulevard NE, Suite 350, Kirkland,
Washington 98033, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
FftLD
100021 The disclosed technology pertains to a system for providing in-
transit power and
data bridging for active storage containers.
BACKGROUND
100031 Goods shipped in containers may have thresholds for such factors as
temperature, motion, humidity, and other characteristics of their storage
environment. Fragile objects may require protection from contact with rigid
objects or may require minimization of sudden forceful accelerations;
medicines
such as vaccines and food products may require a storage temperature within
certain ranges; and electronics and paper goods may require a storage humidity
within certain ranges. Deviations outside of acceptable ranges for
these
characteristics may affect the quality or efficacy of a shipped good, or in
some
cases may even completely ruin a good or make it harmful when used for its
intended purpose. In some instances, goods may be appropriately shipped in
passive containers which may be, for example, insulated and sealed containers
having ice packs, vacuum, or cooled air stored inside. In other instances,
passive
features such as insulation and ice pack may not be sufficient, such as during
lengthy transits in which ice will eventually melt, or with goods that may
have a
storage temperature range that is above freezing.
100011 In these instances, active containers that include active heating
and/or cooling
systems may be used to meet temperature requirements. This introduces several
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issues beyond cost and complexity, one being the need to ensure power delivery
to the active systems of an active container throughout a transit that may
last for
more than 100 hours With variable storage conditions and variable lengths of
transit, determining precise power needs throughout the transit can be
difficult or
impossible As a result, active containers are equipped with large batteries
that
can carry an adequate charge for regulating the temperature of stored goods
during transit. While providing larger and more efficient batteries provides
some
flexibility in transit, the added battery weight increases fuel usage and
shipping
costs, and the added battery size reduces the volume of goods that can be
shipped
in a single active storage container. Since batteries tend to scale very
poorly for
transit applications, increasing their size and weight in this manner is not
ideal
[0005] Each
feature of an active container represents additional battery charge
requirements. As a result, active containers that are capable of controlling
temperature of goods, tracking temperature, tracking location, and other
similar
features may require large and heavy batteries that increase the cost of
shipment
and reduce the available space for goods within the container. Conversely,
reducing the number of active features or reducing the reliance upon active
features that are present may reduce battery requirements, and allow for
additional goods to be shipped at lower costs.
[0006]
Another limitation of many conventional active containers is that information
gathered from sensors such as temperature sensors and GPS systems can only be
used to retroactively identify problems rather than actively identify and
resolve
potential problems. While it may be useful to know that a medicine has been
destroyed by being stored outsides of an acceptable temperature range when it
arrives at its destination, it may be more desirable to alert the risk of
storage
outside of the acceptable range at the earliest opportunity, so that a
responsible
party can intervene and prevent or address the unacceptable storage
conditions.
[0007] The
above limitation is not easily addressed, since devices such as GPS systems
or communication systems may not be available at all times during transit. For
example, if an active container is placed in the cargo hold of an airplane for
a
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lengthy flight, government or airplane regulations may require that long range
wireless communication features such as GPS be disabled to prevent
interference
with critical flight systems. As another example, some warehouses or courier
vehicles may be wireless communication dead zones due to their location or
construction material, such that active containers stored within are incapable
of
sending and receiving long range wireless communications, which may prevent
GPS data from being available while the container is present in such an area.
[0008] What is needed, therefore, is an improved system for providing in-
transit power
sources and data bridging for active containers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The drawings and detailed description that follow are intended to be
merely
illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing a conventional active container
transit;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing an exemplary improved active
container transit
using a system for providing in-transit power sources;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an exemplary set of vehicle
shelves that may
be used to store active containers;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an exemplary set of warehouse
shelves that
may be used to store active containers;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active shelf for
storing an active
container;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a set of steps that a system could perform
to provide
power and other functionality to an active container;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an exemplary shipment cycle for an
active container;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a diagram of an exemplary system for active container data
bridging;
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[0019] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an exemplary set of steps that an
active container
could perform to bridge available data connections;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a front elevation view of an exemplary keypad of an
active container;
and
[0022] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an exemplary set of steps than an
active container
could perform to provide information on an active container via the exemplary
keypad
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The novel technology that, for the purpose of illustration, is
disclosed herein is
described in the context of the shipment and storage of active containers.
While
the disclosed applications of this technology satisfy a long-felt but unmet
need in
the art of the shipment and storage of active containers, it should be
understood
that this technology is not limited to being implemented in the precise
manners
set forth herein, but could be implemented in other manners without undue
experimentation by those of ordinary skill in the art in light of this
disclosure.
Accordingly, the examples set forth herein should be understood as being
illustrative only, and should not be treated as limiting.
[0024] The disclosed system for providing in-transit power for active
containers may be
implemented by creating or modifying storage points for an active container,
such as shelves, racks, or lockers in a vehicle or warehouse, so that the
storage
points include an external power supply that is configured to provide power to
an
active container when it is placed in the storage point. Active containers
configured to be used with the system will have an internal battery that is
used to
provide power to one or more active systems, such as temperature control
systems, humidity control systems, or location tracking systems, and that is
capable of receiving power from the external power supply when the active
container is placed in the storage point. Some implementations of the
disclosed
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system may require a mechanical connection, such as a cable connection or
docking connection, to be made between the external power supply and the
active container, but others will instead rely on wireless power transfer so
that
active containers may be automatically connected to an external power supply
as
a result of the act of placing the active container in the storage point.
100251 It
should be understood that the teachings disclosed herein can be applied to
containers used in a variety of contexts. For example, this could include
reusable
containers owned by a party that sends or receives them, containers with
limited
reusability that are purchased and used for one or more shipments, and
containers that may be rented or leased from a provider and used by a party
that
sends or receives them. Further, the teachings disclosed herein can be applied
to
containers having a variety of features. For example, this could include
containers having active temperature control systems (e.g., integrated
compressors or thermoelectric devices that can produce heat or cold and
maintain or change a current temperature), containers having semi-active
temperature control systems (e.g., containers that do not produce heat or cold
during transit, but have materials and devices that help it to retain and
maintain a
starting temperature such as eutectic plates and circulation fans), and
passively
temperature controlled containers (e.g., containers that rely solely on
materials or
passive mechanical features to maintain a starting temperature).
[0026] When
an active container is connected to an external power supply, the external
power supply may directly power the active systems of the active container,
may
charge the battery of the active container, or both. By connecting to external
power supplies at one or more storage points along a shipment cycle, the size
and
weight of a battery needed to power the active container throughout the entire
shipment cycle may be reduced, thereby reducing the total weight of the active
container and increasing the space available for storing goods.
[0027] Also
disclosed are active containers with data bridging that use one or more short
range data transmission capabilities, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a physical
data
connection, to connect to another system or device that is located proximately
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the active container and that offers one or more data streams that may be used
by
the active container to produce analytics on its location, status of various
systems, status of stored goods, and other information. This could include
connecting with a local wireless network while stored in a warehouse in order
to
receive location data and exchange data with systems over the internet,
connecting with a courier vehicles GPS navigation and cellular data service
via
Bluetooth, connecting with an airplane's local wireless network to exchange
data
with systems over the internet, and other similar bridging techniques and
circumstances.
[0028] By using data streams made available by such bridging techniques, an
active
container may disable independent GPS or cellular data systems to conserve
power, or may continue to receive and exchange data with data streams when
independent connection is unavailable (e.g., the active container does not
have
equipment allowing for independent connection or the active container is
stored
in an area where the connection is impossible) or prohibited for any reason.
Operating in this manner, an active container may reduce or eliminate the
number and duration of blind spots (i.e., points during transit where the
active
container is unable to receive or exchange information with data streams) that
it
experiences during a shipment cycle.
[0029] The disclosed descriptions of in-transit power and data bridging may
be
implemented in active containers separately, or in combination, as may be
desired for a particular implementation.
[0030] I. Exemplary In-Transit Charging System and Methods
[0031] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a conventional shipment
cycle (100)
for active containers. In such a cycle, the active container may have its
battery
charged to full or near full capacity at its origin (102), which may be a
warehouse or packing center that produces the goods that are being shipped, or
that specializes in preparing active containers for shipment. When the active
container is packed and begins its transit it will be using a battery (103)
for
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power to maintain any active systems that it possesses, which may include
temperature management systems, humidity management systems, or active
vibration management systems. The container may be moved from its storage
point in the warehouse (102), which may be a shelf or packaging area for
example, and placed in a ground vehicle (104) for transit to an airport
warehouse
(106), relying on the battery (103) for power throughout this period of time.
After some period of time at an airport warehouse (106), the container may be
placed on an airplane (108) and be flown to another location, where it may be
removed from the airplane (108) and placed in another airport warehouse (110)
for some period of time. A ground vehicle (104) may then arrive at the airport
warehouse (110) to retrieve one or more containers and transport them to a
distribution center (112), where they may be placed on another ground vehicle
(104) for delivery to a final destination such as a home or business (114). As
can
be seen in FIG. 1, at each point along this transit the active container is
relying
on the battery (103) to power any necessary active features.
[0032] With
the number of steps in the exemplary shipment cycle, it can be seen that
there are many opportunities for delays if a package is misplaced at a storage
area (106, 110, 112), or if a ground vehicle (104) or airplane (108) has a
mechanical issue, or is otherwise delayed by weather, customs clearance or
other
non-controllable or unanticipated event. As a result, there may be little room
for
error with some shipments, and external forces like a mechanical failure,
extreme
temperatures, or other delay may result in complete discharge of the battery
which can cause the goods to become damaged or unusable. While larger
batteries can provide a larger initial charge to safeguard against some level
of
unexpected delay or power need, as previously discussed, batteries do not
scale
well for transit applications and there is a point where sufficiently sized
batteries
will not leave sufficient room for goods within the active container.
[0033] FIG. 2
is a flow diagram showing an exemplary active container shipment cycle
(101) that uses a system for providing in-transit power sources to an active
container (500) such as that shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 2, while the
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individual steps of the shipment cycle are similar, including an initial
charging of
a battery at an origin point such as a warehouse (102), transportation by
several
ground vehicles (104) and an airplane (108), and storage in various locations
(106, 110, 112), this process differs in that at several stages of the
shipment
cycle the active container (500) may be using an in-transit power supply,
which
may also be referred to as an external power supply or "EPS" (105), rather
than
relying on a battery, which may be referred to as an internal power supply or
"IPS" (103) at all stages. When an EPS (105) is present during transit, the
active
container (500) may power its active systems from the EPS (105), may charge
its
IPS (103) from the EPS (105), or both. As shown in the exemplary shipment
cycle of FIG. 2, the active container (500) will have an EPS available at one
or
more of the following exemplary locations: (105) at the origin warehouse
(105),
during transit in the one or more ground vehicles (104), at the airport
warehouses
(106), or at the distribution center (112).
100341 This
ability to reduce reliance on the IPS (103) at several stages of the cycle or
to
recharge the IPS (103) mid-cycle means that a smaller IPS (103) may be used in
the active container (500) while maintaining equivalent functionality as a
larger
IPS (103), thereby reducing the container's overall weight and increasing the
availability of room for goods within the container without compromising the
safety of the goods in transit. For example, suppose that the transit shown in
FIG. 1 is predicted to be 100 hours in length from origin to destination, a
IPS
(103) of FIG. 1 should allow for a minimum of 100 hours of operation of a
temperature management system to keep the temperature of goods within an
acceptable range based upon the predicted ambient temperatures during transit.
Consider now FIG. 2, and suppose that the duration of transit is 100 hours,
but
that only 10 hours of that is spent on an airplane (108) where an EPS (105)
may
be unavailable. In this case, the battery should allow for a minimum of 10
hours
of operation of a temperature management system to keep the temperature of the
goods within an acceptable range based upon the predicted temperature of the
airplane (108) cargo area While the minimum charges described above may not
be ideal they do serve as a useful comparison between FIG 1 and FIG. 2, and
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indicate that in some situations the maximum charge that an IPS (103) is
required to hold may be reduced by 90% by using the system described herein.
It should be noted that implementation of such a system as that shown in FIG.
2
may require certain changes or features be present in both active containers
used
with such a system, as well as to storage areas of such a system, as will be
described in further detail below.
[0035] FIG. 3
shows a side elevation view of an exemplary set of vehicle shelves (200),
while FIG. 4 shows a front perspective view of an exemplary set of warehouse
shelves (300), which each may be fitted with an active shelf system (400) such
as
that shown in FIG. 5 in order to provide an EPS (105) to an active container
(500) stored thereon. Referring to FIG. 3, a set of vehicle shelves (200) that
may
be configured to provide an EPS (105) may include one or more shelves (202) of
length and width to hold one or more active containers (500), each shelf (202)
of
the set of shelves (200) having an underside (204), a surface (206) upon which
an active container (500) may be placed, a rear wall (208) which an active
container (500) may rest against, and a lip (210) at a front edge of the shelf
that
may prevent an active container (500) from shifting or falling from the shelf
A
set of warehouse shelves (300) that may be configured to provide an EPS (105)
may include one or more shelves (302) of length and width to hold one or more
active containers (500), each shelf (302) of the set of shelves (300) having a
surface (304) for holding an active container (500), the surface (304) having
an
underside (not pictured), and a frame (306) that holds the shelves (302) and
active containers (500) in place.
[0036] FIG. 5
is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active shelf (400) for storing an
active container (500), which may be implemented as a shelf (202, 302) in one
of
the shelving systems (200, 300) shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A shelf frame (402)
nms horizontally and may hold one or more active containers (500). The shelf
frame (402) provides places such as mounting points or enclosures where
additional components of an active shelf (400) may be attached to or installed
within. Additional components may include EPSs (404), container identifiers
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(408), an inventory management system (410), a network device (412), and a
power supply (414). Each EPS (404) is capable of providing external power to
one or more active containers (500), with power for each individual EPS coming
from the power supply (414). An EPS (404) may delivery power to an active
container (500) via a direct connection such as a cable or docking connection,
or
via a wireless power delivery method such as inductive coupling, capacitive
coupling, magnetodynamic coupling, laser, or other similar near-field and far-
field technologies for wireless power transfer. As seen in FIG. 6, each active
container (500) will have an EPS receiver (504) that is configured to receive
power from an EPS (404), with the specific form of such components being
based upon the particular form of power delivery.
100371 For
example, where the EPS (404) delivers power via a cable or other
mechanical connection, the EPS receiver (504) could be a corresponding cable
connection or mechanical connection, so that when the active container (500)
is
placed on a shelf having an EPS, the cable could be manually connected as a
separate action, or as part of the action of placing the active container
(500) (e.g.,
where the act of placing the container causes the EPS receiver (504) to dock
or
socket into an EPS (404) due to their respective placement on the shelf and
container). Where the EPS (404) delivers power wirelessly, such as where it is
an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical transmitter, the EPS
receiver (504) could be an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical
receiver. Wireless EF'Ss (404) may automatically begin to provide power to an
active container (500) as the result of the act of placing the active
container (500)
on a shelf having a wireless EPS. For example, in an implementation where
inductive technology is used, an active container would include an EPS
receiver
(504) such as an inductive strip or plate on the bottom or side of the
container
(500), and an EPS enabled shelf (202, 302) would have an inductive transmitter
strip or plate installed as an EPS (404) on a wall (208), underside (204)
surface
(206), or frame (306) of the shelf (202, 302), such that when the active
container
(500) is placed on the shelf (202, 302) it comes to rest within a distance of
the
EPS (404) where inductive transmitting of power may automatically begin The
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physical shape and characteristics of the container, shelf, or both may be
selected
to ensure positioning and distance of the container and shelf relative to each
other to allow for inductive transfer, and may include the use of rails,
notches,
tabs, or other physical features that can guide or interlock to ensure proper
placement as the active container (500) is placed on the shelf (202, 302).
100381 Other
features of an active shelf may include inventory management features
including container identifiers (408) and an inventory management system
(410).
The container identifier (408) may be, for example, a physical data connection
such as a cable or other mechanical connection, which may be part of a cable
or
connection that also allows for connection of an EPS (404), or may be a device
for wirelessly capturing data such as an optical scanner or wireless
transceiver
such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RF1D, or NFC. The container identifier (408) may be
placed within or near an active shelf (400), such as on wall (208) or frame
(306),
and will be configured to identify an active container (500) as it is placed
on the
active shelf (400) or connected to the EPS (404). For example, this could
include using a radio transceiver to read a unique RF1D number from a chip
placed on an active container.
[0039] This
identification may then be passed to an inventory management system (410)
and stored so that various details of the active containers (500) transit may
be
determined. This could include, for example, the length of time the container
is
at a particular location, the temperature for that period of time, the
containers
estimated or actual battery charge (actual battery charge may be available in
systems where identification occurs via a dynamic data stream such as NFC or
Bluetooth for example), time spent powered by EPS (105), time spent powered
by IPS (103), and other information. Such information may be stored locally on
the inventory management system (410), which may be a processor and memory,
a single-board computer, or other computing device that may be installed
within
or nearby an active shelf (404). Such information may also be transmitted to
remote locations and servers via a network device (412) installed within or
nearby an active shelf (404), which could include, for example, a wireless
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network device, Bluetooth device, cellular data device, or other wireless data
transmitting device. For example, a cellular data network device (412) may
regularly transmit data from the inventory management system (410) to a cloud-
based system or remote server so that data from multiple active shelf systems
(400) that is associated with a single active container (500) may be
aggregated
and used to detelmine details of the transit of the container. In another
example,
the network device (412) may be a Bluetooth or other short range wireless
connection that may use a long range wireless data connection available via a
driver's mobile phone or a ground vehicles (104) built in data connection to
accomplish such communications.
100401 The
power supply (414) that provides power to each individual EPS (404) may
be, for example, high capacity batteries used in an electric ground vehicle
(104),
current supplied from a generator or alternator of a ground vehicle (104),
current
supplied from solar panels installed on the exterior of a ground vehicle (104)
or
warehouse (106), or standard electrical current supplied by outlets or
electrical
service in a warehouse (106).
[0041] Power
supplied to an active container may be drawn and used by the active
container (500) on demand, or may be used to recharge an IPS (103), or both,
depending upon the characteristics and features of a particular active
container
(500) FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container (500)
having a number of exemplary features The active container (500) has a case
(502) comprising a storage compartment (512), an EPS receiver (504), a battery
(506), a temperature management system or "TMS" (508), a transit tracking
system (510), and a network device (514) The case (502) may be durable and
insulated, and may have physical connections for connecting to an EPS (404)
via
an EPS receiver (504), or, in the case of wireless transmission of power, may
have an externally mounted EPS receiver (504) or a portion of the case (502)
that
is constructed of materials that allow for wireless transmission of power,
data, or
both through that section of the case (502). A storage compartment (512)
within
the case (502) may be accessed by a door or lid for example, and is used to
store
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goods that are shipped within the active container (500). The battery (506)
serves as the IPS (103) for active systems of the active container (500), and
may
be reduced in size and capacity relative to a conventional system due to the
availability of an EPS (105) during one or more portions of the shipment cycle
(200).
100421 Active
systems of the active container (500) may include the temperature
management system (508), transit tracking system (510), climate control,
active
vibration control, or other features. In the container of FIG. 6, a TMS (508)
may
actively cool and heat air or materials that are circulated through the
storage
compartment (512) or in contact with the storage compartment (512) in response
to temperature sensor data generated by a sensor of the TMS (508) in order to
regulate the temperature of goods in the storage compartment (512). A TMS
(508) may use a variety of conventional heating and cooling devices, including
compressor cooling, stored energy in both heating and cooling plates,
resistive
heating elements, solid state heating and cooling such as thermoelectric
cooling,
phase change heating and cooling and other similar technologies. The TMS
(508) will typically operate non-stop to maintain desired temperature ranges,
though it may be configured to deactivate under certain conditions such as
when
an active container (500) is stored in an airplane (108) cargo hold or other
area
where there may be restrictions on the use of systems for electrical heating,
cooling, or circulation of volumes of air.
[0043] A
transit tracking system (510) may be used to track and store the location of
the
active container (500) via GPS, the temperature and humidity of a storage
compartment (512) during transit, motion and acceleration of the container
(500)
during transit, usage, charging, and status of the battery (506) during
transit,
usage and availability of an EPS (404) during transit, and other information
generated during transit that may be useful in determining the outcome or
present
status of transit. Such information may be stored on the transit tracking
system
(510) and manually accessed, or may be transmitted to one or more remote
systems or devices via a network device (514) such as a cellular data, Wi-Fi,
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Bluetooth, or NFC transceiver, or another communication transceiver. Such
information may be used, for example, to determine if goods were stored within
acceptable temperature ranges at all times during transit, if any abnormal
shocks
or movements of a container may have damaged the goods in, or other similar
determinations. When such information is available in real-time, it may be
used
to intervene in a transit and reduce or prevent the risk of damage to goods
within
an active container (500). For example, where a TMS (508) generates data
indicating that a battery (506) only has sufficient charge for five more hours
of
temperature management, a transit tracking device (510) may report such
information to a remote server via a network device (514). At a remote server,
a
determination may be made by a person or software application to expedite
delivery of the container so that it arrives before the battery (506) is
depleted, or
to delay its transit at a warehouse (106) where an EPS (105) is available and
may
be used to recharge the battery (506) before transit continues. Other examples
of
actions that may be taken in response to real time data from an active
container
(500) will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the
disclosure
herein.
100441 FIG. 7
is a flowchart of a set of steps that an in-transit power system could
perform to provide power and other functionality to an active container. When
an active container (500) is placed on a shelf (202, 302), whether in a
vehicle
(104) or warehouse (106), if an EPS is not present (602) the active container
will
continue to power (602) any active systems via an IPS (103) such as a battery
(506). If present, any transit information being produced by a transit
tracking
system (510) will continue to be stored locally (604). When an EPS is
available
(600), the EPS may provide direct power (606) to operate one or more active
systems (605) of the active container (500) This could include, for example,
powering the active container's (500) TMS (508) and other systems directly to
reduce or negate their draw from the battery (506) However, in some cases the
EPS, the active container (500), or both may not be configured to provide
direct
power (606) to active systems, or directly powering the active systems may be
otherwise undesirable In cases where the system is not configured to provide
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direct power (606), the EPS may be configured to provide a charge to the
battery
(608), which will receive a charge from the EPS (610) while simultaneously
continuing to power the active systems. In this manner, the EPS may power the
active systems indirectly, which may reduce the complexity or necessity of
additional equipment that may be required to allow for the EPS to directly
power
the active systems.
[0045] It should also be understood that in some configurations the EPS and
active
container (500) may be configured for both direct power (606) to operate the
active systems from the EPS (605) while also providing (608) power to charge
the battery (506) from the EPS. While power output of the EPS may be higher in
such a configuration, it may be desirable in situations where a goal is to
maximize the charge that a battery (506) receives while connected to an EPS.
While connected to an EPS as described above, implementations having the
capability to transmit data to remote servers may remotely log (612) transit
details when an active shelf system (400) with network capabilities is
available.
[0046] II. Exemplary Active Container with Data Bridging and Methods
[0047] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of an
exemplary
shipment cycle (700) that an active container (900), such as that shown in
FIG.
10, may transit through Active containers (900) may be used in a variety of
context, and could include, for example, reusable containers owned by a party
that sends or receives them, containers with limited reusability that are
purchased
and used for one or more shipments, and containers that may be rented or
leased
from a provider and used by a party that sends or receives them. During a
shipment cycle an active container (900) may be stored in a variety of
locations,
including storage and distribution warehouses (702), courier vehicles (704),
airport warehouses (706), airplanes (708), all before arriving at a
destination
(770). Each of these locations may have different characteristics and storage
conditions that may impact an active container's (900) ability to track its
location, report its location, or perform other tasks relating to inbound and
outbound communications.
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[0048] For
example, some warehouses (702) may be constructed from concrete, metal,
or other materials that alone or in combination with each other can block or
reduce the quality of wireless data transmissions entering or exiting the
interior
of the structure. Courier vehicles (704) may also be constructed of metal or
other materials that may passively block wireless transmissions to and from
storage areas, and in some cases may even be purposefully shielded against
such
transmissions through the use of other passive or active wireless transmission
blocking techniques. As with previous examples, airport warehouses (706) and
airplanes (708) may be resistant to wireless transmissions due to materials or
active shielding, and may additionally be regulated by statute or agreement
prohibiting even unsuccessful attempts to wirelessly transmit data or even
requiring that any device that is capable of wireless transmissions be
completely
powered off.
[0049] Active
containers (900) can include devices that send or receive data. This could
include location tracking systems (908) that receive GPS data from a satellite
and
provide that location data to remote servers and devices in the form of
tracking
information, keypads (914) and security features that may remotely lock or
unlock an active container (900) in response to communications from a remote
server, battery (904) management systems that report a battery status and
charge
to remote servers, and other similar features.
[0050] For
example, a tracking system (908) that can receive GPS or other location data
in order to determine a present location, which may then be locally stored on
a
memory throughout a trip. Such information may be used to later recreate the
path taken during a shipment, or may be used to enable or disable various
features of the active container (900) based on a geographic location of the
container. This could include enabling or disabling certain types of wireless
transmission when the active container (900) is in or near an airport,
automatically locking the active container (900) when it is in certain storage
areas or outside of a certain predicted route, or other similar actions. When
the
tracking system (908) is unable to independently resolve the active
container's
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(900) location, because receipt of GPS data it is blocked, prohibited, or
disabled
to conserve power, such features may be unavailable.
[0051] As
another example, some active containers (900) may regularly exchange data
with remote systems. This could include reporting a present location to allow
for
real-time tracking of a shipment, reporting the temperature or humidity of
goods
stored within a storage compartment (912), reporting a battery (904) charge
level, reporting attempts to access the container via a keypad (914),
reporting the
status of one or more active systems (906), which may include temperature and
humidity control systems, and other infoimation which may desirably be
transmitted to a remote server and aggregated or otherwise used. Containers
that
exchange data with remote systems could include, for example, containers
having active temperature control systems (e.g., integrated compressors or
thermoelectric devices that can produce heat or cold and maintain or change a
current temperature), containers having semi-active temperature control
systems
(e.g., containers that do not produce heat or cold during transit, but have
materials and devices that help it to retain and maintain a starting
temperature
such as eutectic plates and circulation fans), and passively temperature
controlled
containers (e.g., containers that rely solely on materials or passive
mechanical
features to maintain a starting temperature).
[0052] While
the specific contents of the data that is produced and exchanged with
containers having active, semi-active, and passive temperature control systems
will vary, the teachings herein may be applied to each Additionally, it should
be
understood that the active container (900) may have a controller such as a
processor (918) configured to control one or more of the active systems (906),
the tracking system (908), the communication devices (910), or other devices
or
components of the active container (900). The processor (918) may be a single
processor operable to control or usable by one or more components of the
active
container (900) or may be multiple processors each accessible by or dedicated
to
one or more components. For example, in some implementations the processor
(918) may comprise a main processor operable to control and exchange
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information with the tracking system (908) and the communication devices (910)
and may also comprise a processor dedicated to or contained within the
tracking
system and configured to receive and interpret positioning signals, trigger
events
related to positioning signals, and other similar tasks. Other similar
variations
and implementations will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in
light of
the disclosure herein.
[0053]
Exchanges of information may be made via one or more communication or
network devices (910) of the active container (900), which may include devices
independently capable of communications with a remote server such as a
cellular
data modem, but may also include devices capable of bridging to other locally
available data connections, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other similar short
range
wireless technologies that may be installed within or mounted to the exterior
of a
case (902) of the active container (900), or wired communication options such
as
USB, Ethernet, or broadband over power. When the network devices (910) are
unable to communicate with remote systems, because the communications are
blocked, prohibited, or disabled to conserve power, such features may be
unavailable
[0054] An
inability to receive or send certain types of data, whether because
transmissions are fully or partially blocked, or because a device is shut off
or
prohibited from use, may impact one or more of the above described features of
an active container (900) Even where full and independent connectivity is
possible, it may be desirable to limit the use of such connectivity to devices
that
consume little power (e g , low energy Bluetooth rather than long range
cellular
data) when possible, in order to conserve an active container's (900) limited
battery (904) charge
[0055] While
independent communication with a remote server or device via a GPS
receiver or cellular data modem may at times be prevented or prohibited, short-
range wireless communications via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or other technologies may
avoid such prohibitions or may operate noimally within a warehouse (702),
courier vehicle (704), or airplane (708) rather than being blocked by a metal
or
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concrete exterior surface. Establishing a local connection to a device that is
capable of connection to a remote server effectively allows an active
container
(900) to bridge and use that data stream to maintain any features that rely on
connection with a remote device when independent connection is unavailable or
undesirable
100561 As an
example, FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a system capable of data bridging in
order to maintain transmission and receipt of various data when wireless
transmissions are prevented or prohibited. In the shown example, a bridge
provider (802) may be, for example, a warehouse (702), courier vehicle (704),
airplane (708), or other place that an active container (900) may be stored
during
a shipment cycle, and that also has access to one or more data streams needed
by
the active container (900), such as GPS data (804) or wide area network
internet
connectivity (806) via a cellular data modem, which may allow communication
with remote devices such as a server (808) or mobile device (810). Bridge
providers (802) may provide data streams that may be bridged in a variety of
ways. For example, in the case of a warehouse (702) or airport warehouse
(706),
wireless communications from within the warehouse directed at destinations
outside of the warehouse (702) may be fully or partially blocked by cement and
metal materials used to construct the warehouse (702).
[0057]
However, computer systems within the warehouse (702) itself may have access
to a wide area network (806) via an externally mounted antenna or cable
Receipt of GPS signals may also be unreliable within the warehouse, but a
computer system within the warehouse (702) could store information that could
be used to determine the warehouse (702) GPS location, or even the GPS
location of an active container (900) stored in the warehouse (702) In this
example, an active container (900) could use a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other
network device (910) to connect to a device or local area network available
within the warehouse (702) in order to send and receive information with the
warehouse (702) computer system Establishing such a connection would allow
the active container (900) to receive infolination indicating a current
location and
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allow information, such as a record of its location, a record of the
temperature
and condition of goods, a battery charge, or other information to be exchanged
with a server (808) or mobile device (810). Such information may be used to
provide reassurance that the active container (900) will arrive in the
expected
time and condition, or to intervene if the provided information indicates that
the
active container (900) has been misplaced, or that an active system (906) or
battery (904) has failed or will fail.
100581 In an
example where the bridge provider (802) is a courier vehicle (704), and
independent communication with a GPS data stream (804) or a wide area
network (806) is impossible, prohibited, not desirable, or otherwise
unavailable
for at least the reasons described above, the courier vehicle (704) itself may
have
integrated devices capable of receiving a GPS data stream (804) or
communicating with a wide area network (806). This is frequently the case with
vehicles used for high volume transit of packages and goods both for delivery
to
retail locations and delivery to homes and businesses, and even many personal
vehicles are now equipped with GPS navigation and cellular data modems. Even
where such devices are not integrated with a courier vehicle (804), a driver
of a
vehicle may have a mobile device having such capabilities, such as a mobile
phone or a mobile hotspot. Where such capabilities are available, as with
previous examples, the active container (900) may use a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or
other network device (910) to connect to the bridge provider (802) (whether it
is
an integrated device of a courier vehicle (704) or a device possessed by a
driver
or occupant) and access GPS data streams (804) and wide area network data
stream (806) via the bridge provider (802).
[0059] In
examples where the bridge provider (802) is an airplane (708) the situation is
similar, though airplanes may be more likely to prohibit certain types of
wireless
transmission. So, for example, Bluetooth or other short range wireless options
may be preferred options for bridging, while Wi-Fi, which typically has a
longer
range, may be prohibited or unavailable. Where an airplane (708) is the bridge
provider (802), bridging may only be allowed at certain times during a flight,
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which may require that the network devices (910) power off when a sensor of
the
active container (900) such as an accelerometer or altimeter indicates that
the
airplane (708) is taking off or landing, or when a signal is received from the
bridge provider (802) indicating that the network devices (910) should power
off.
It may also be the case for airplanes (708) or other bridge providers (802)
that
the network device (900) that is used to connect to the bridge provider (802)
is a
physical cable or other mechanical connection that is made when the active
container (900) is placed at the bridge provider (802). Such a physical cable
or
other mechanical connection might additionally provide power, heating or
cooling ventilation, and other resources that could benefit an active
container
(900) or allow it to reduce reliance on internal active systems (906) or
batteries
(904).
100601
Turning now to FIG. 11, that figure shows a flowchart of a set of steps that
may
be performed by an active container (900) in order to utilize data streams
from
nearby bridge providers (802). The steps of FIG. 11 assume that the active
container (900) does not have independent access to GPS and wide area network
data streams, which may include such connectivity being blocked, prohibited,
undesirable, or that the active container (900) is not equipped for
independent
GPS and wide area network access. In such a scenario, the active container
(900) will locally log (1000) temperature, humidity, battery status, vibration
or
motion status, or other characteristics that it is configured to detect and
determine to a memory (916) of the active container (900), which, for example,
could be a component of the network device (910), tracking system (908),
active
systems (906), or a standalone memory (916) in communication with other
components of the active container (900). Such information could be locally
logged (1000) as it is generated, in compressed or encrypted form as may be
desirable, and in any form or data structure that will allow the data to later
be
aggregated, graphed, or otherwise recreated as may be desirable for a
particular
application. If a GPS bridge becomes available (1002), such as may be the case
when the active container (900) is in proximity with a bridge provider (802)
that
has access to a GPS data stream (804) or that is otherwise configured to
provide
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location data, the active container (900) can connect to the bridge provider
(802)
via a network device (910) and begin receiving GPS information, or other
information that might be available via the bridge provider (802), that can be
locally logged (1004) to a memory (916) of the active container (900).
[0061] If a
wide area network bridge becomes available (1006), such as may be the case
when the active container (900) is in proximity with a bridge provider (802)
that
has access to a wide area network data stream (806), the active container
(900)
can connect to the bridge provider (802) via a network device (910) to access
the
wide area network data stream (806) The wide area network data stream (806)
may be accessible through, for example, a warehouse (702) broadband internet
connection, a courier vehicle (704) or airplane (708) cellular data
connection, a
mobile phone cellular data connection, or other similar devices or
connections.
When the active container (900) connects via a WAN bridge (1006), it may
begin exchanging information with servers (808) and mobile devices (810),
which could include providing information to those devices indicating the
active
container's (900) location and condition or other information that may be
desirably logged (1008) to a remote device. Other types of information that
may
be logged locally and remotely and uses for that information will be apparent
to
those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the disclosure herein.
[0062] One
component of the active container (900) that has been previously mentioned
is the keypad (914), shown in FIG 12 The keypad (914) has several features
that may operate along with the data bridging capabilities that have been
previously described A set of buttons (1102) may be used by an operator to
interact with the active container (900), and may allow a user to, for
example,
lock, unlock, or change configurations of the active container (900). The
keypad
may also have one or more indicators, including a critical indicator (1104), a
safe
indicator (1106), and a caution indicator (1108) The shown indicators (1104,
1106, 1108) may be, for example, light emitting diodes that may be activated
to
emit varying colors. A critical indicator (1104) may emit a red light to
indicate,
for example, a critical failure of some aspect of the active container (900)
that
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may impact the usability of the goods stored therein. A safe indicator (1106)
may be a light emitting diode capable of emitting, for example, a green light
to
indicate, for example, that the active container (900) is operating as
expected,
and that the good stored therein should be in their expected condition. A
caution
indicator (1108) may be a light emitting diode capable of emitting, for
example,
an orange or amber light to indicate, for example, that the active container
(900)
has a low risk error that is unlikely to impact the usability of goods stored
therein, but that should be investigated.
[0063] One or
more indicator lights (1104, 1106, 1108) may be lighted by the active
container (900) in some circumstances. FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of an
exemplary set of steps that could be performed to light indicator lights of
the
keypad (914) in one set of circumstances. One or more systems or components
of an active container may generate diagnostic messages and alerts during use.
This could include, for example, a battery (904) low charge or malfunction, a
failure or unpredictable behavior of an active system (906) such as the
temperature management system, a temperature or humidity reading from a
storage compartment (912) that is outside of the safe storage range for the
goods
therein, or other similar occurrences may generate local alerts (1200).
[0064] Remote
alerts may also be generated (1202) when an active container (900) is in
communication with a remote system such as a server (808) Remote alerts may
occur (1202) when a server (808) or mobile device (810) provides information
or
instructions to the active container (900) that generate an alert This could
include, for example, an indication from the server (808) that the active
container
(900) was shipped to the wrong destination, that it contains the wrong goods,
that
the goods within the container were improperly packed or have been recalled by
a manufacturer, that some information provided by the active container (900)
indicates that the goods are unusable despite not generating a local alert
(1200),
or other similar situations where a determination is remotely made that the
active
container (900) should be placed into a certain alert mode.
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[0065] Where
no local or remote alert exists, or when a previous alert has been cleared
or resolved, the keypad (914) safe indicator may be enabled (1204) to provide
a
visual indicator that the active container (900) is operating as expected and
the
goods contained therein were properly stored and maintained. After a local or
remote alert has been generated, a determination may be made as to whether it
is
critical (1206) or not. This determination may be made by the system or
component generating the alert and included in the electronic signal that
generates the alert, may be determined at a remote server (808) and delivered
as
part of a remote alert, or may be determined by a processor (918) and memory
(916) of the active container (900). A determination of whether an alert is
critical or not (1206) may depend upon such factors as the goods stored within
the storage compartment (912), the nature and severity of the alert, or other
factors. For example, one alert may indicate that the temperature at which
goods
were stored in the active container (900) was 5% above the safe range for a
period of 5 minutes. For some goods this may be a critical alert (1206), in
which
case the critical indicator would be enabled (1210) to visually alert someone
that
the goods inside should not be used, and may also cause the active container
(900) to lockout (1212) and prevent attempts to access the storage compartment
(912) via the keypad (914) without an access code or other remote
authorization.
The same set of circumstances might be determined as non-critical (1206) for
different types of goods, in which case the caution indicator would be enabled
(1208) to indicate that some abnormality occurred during shipment and further
inquiry may be warranted, but that the goods may be accessed and used if
necessary.
[0066] Other
examples of situations which may generate alerts exist. For example, if an
active container (900) is reported to be stolen, or if local or remotely
available
location data indicates that it is located outside of its expected route or
was
delivered to an incorrect destination, a local or remote alert may be
generated
(1200, 1202) and deemed to be critical (1206) in order to provide a critical
warning indicator (1210) and lockout (1212) so that the contents of the
storage
compartment (912) are not easily accessed by someone who has mistakenly or
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maliciously taken possession of the active container (900). Such alerts may be
triggered when, for example, an active container (900) disconnects from the
bridge provider (802) outside of an expected geofenced area (e.g., where
connection with the bridge provider (802) is lost while the active container
(900)
is more than 100 yards from the expected delivery destination), as this could
indicate that the active container (900) was delivered to the wrong area,
stolen,
or is otherwise off its expected course. In such a circumstance, the keypad
(914)
may be configured to automatically lockout (1212) based upon being outside of
the geofenced delivery area when bridge connection was lost, and may
additionally be configured to automatically clear the lockout (1212) when a
bridge connection is restored within the geofenced delivery area.
[0067] As another example, if a local or remote alert is generated (1200,
1202)
indicating that a courier vehicle (704) that the active container (900) was
within
was involved in a sudden stop or traffic accident, as indicated by information
provided from the bridge provider (802) or an accelerometer within the active
container (900) for example, a caution light might be enabled (1208) to
indicate
that the goods are likely usable, but should be closely inspected for physical
damage caused by jarring movements. Further examples will be apparent to one
of ordinary skill in the art in light of the disclosure herein.
[0068] III. Examples
[0069] Example 1
[0070] An active container comprising: (a) a storage compartment; (b) a set
of active
features; (c) a battery configured to provide power to the set of active
features;
(d) a power supply comprising a power receiver, and configured to: (i) receive
power from an external power source when the power receiver is coupled with
the external power source, and (ii) recharge the battery when the power
receiver
is coupled with the external power source, wherein the power receiver is
positioned to couple with the external power source when the active container
is
placed on a surface proximate to the external power source.
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[0071] Example 2
[0072] The active container of Example 1, further comprising a set of
placement guides
positioned about an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the
active container into a coupling location when the active container is placed
on
the surface, wherein: (a) the external power source comprises a wireless power
source positioned proximately to the coupling location, (b) the power receiver
comprises a wireless power receiver, and (c) the wireless power receiver is
positioned in the active container so that it automatically wirelessly couples
with
the wireless power source when the active container is in the coupling
location.
[0073] Example 3
[0074] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 2, further
comprising
a set of placement guides positioned about an exterior of the active container
and
adapted to guide the active container into a coupling location when the active
container is placed on the surface, wherein (a) the external power source
comprises a wired power source positioned proximately to the coupling
location,
(b) the power receiver comprises a wired power receiver, and (c) the wired
power receiver is positioned on the active container so that it automatically
mechanically connects to and couples with the wired power sourced when the
active container is in the coupling location.
[0075] Example 4
[0076] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 3,
wherein: (a) the
power supply is further configured to provide power to the set of active
features
when coupled with the external power source, and (b) the battery is further
configured to provide power to the set of active features only when the power
supply is not coupled with the external power source.
[0077] Example 5
[0078] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 4, wherein
a
maximum charge capacity of the battery is determined based upon: (a) an
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anticipated transit of the active container, and (b) whether the active
container
will be placed on the surface and coupled with the external power source
during
any portion of the anticipated transit of the active container.
[0079] Example 6
[0080] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 5, wherein
the
surface is a shelf in a vehicle storage area, and wherein the shelf is adapted
to
hold the active container in place and maintain the coupling of the active
container with the external power source during transit.
[0081] Example 7
[0082] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 6, the set
of active
features comprising a temperature control system, wherein the storage
compartment comprises a sensitive material that must be maintained at a first
temperature for a first duration of time, and wherein the battery is adapted
to
power the temperature control system to maintain the storage compartment at
the
first temperature for a second duration of time, wherein the second duration
of
time is less than half the first duration of time.
[0083] Example 8
[0084] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 7, wherein
the set of
active features comprise: (a) a transit tracking system configured to track
and
store the location and condition of the active container, and (b) a
temperature
control system operable to maintain the storage compartment at a set
temperature, wherein the temperature control system is further configured to:
(i)
receive a restricted location signal from the transit tracking system, and
(ii) in
response to the restricted location signal, disable operation of the
temperature
control system.
[0085] Example 9
[0086] The active container of one or more of Examples 1 through 8, further
comprising
a network device, wherein the set of active features comprise a transit
tracking
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system operable to track and store the location and condition of the active
container, wherein the transit tracking system is configured to:(a) store a
set of
transit data for a period of transit, wherein the set of transit data
comprises,
throughout the period of transit, a location of the active container, a
temperature
of the storage compartment, an acceleration of the active container, and a
battery
status of the battery, and (b) when the active container is coupled with the
external power source, connect to a receiver via the network device and
transmit
the set of transit data to the receiver.
[0087] Example 10
[0088] The active container of Example 9, wherein the network device is a
first wireless
transceiver, the receiver is a second wireless transceiver, and the receiver
is
located proximate to the surface.
[0089] Example 11
[0090] A system for providing power to a plurality of active containers
during transit,
the system comprising a set of placement locations, wherein each placement
location of the set of placement locations comprises: (a) a structure adapted
to
selectively hold an active container, and (b) an external power source
configured
to be coupled with the active container when the active container is placed at
the
placement location, wherein the set of placement locations comprises a vehicle
placement location positioned within a vehicle, and wherein the vehicle
contains
the plurality of active containers for a portion of the transit.
[0091] Example 12
[0092] The system of Example 11, wherein: (a) the structure comprises a set
of
placement guides positioned on the exterior of the structure and adapted to
guide
the active container into a coupling location when the active container is
placed
on the structure, and (b) the external power source comprises a power
transmitter
positioned proximately to the coupling location and configured to
automatically
couple with a power receiver of the active container when the active container
is
in the coupling location.
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[0093] Example 13
[0094] The system of Example 12, wherein the power transmitter is
configured to
provide power to the power receiver wirelessly.
[0095] Example 14
[0096] The system of one or more of Examples 11 through 13, wherein the set
of
placement locations comprises a storage placement location positioned within a
structure, and wherein the structure contains the plurality of active
containers for
a portion of the transit.
[0097] Example 15
[0098] The system of Example 14, wherein the set of placement locations
comprises a
delivery placement location positioned at a destination of the active
container,
and wherein the destination receives the active container at the end of the
transit.
[0099] Example 16
[00100] The system of one or more of Examples 11 through 15, further
comprising a
container identifier operable to receive information identifying the active
container when the active container is on the structure, and an inventory
management system configured to store data associated with transit of the
active
container, wherein the inventory management system is configured to: (a)
receive an identifier from the container identifier, (b) create a transit
record
comprising a description of the time and location of the active container
while on
the structure, and (c) transmit the transit record and the identifier to a
remote
server and cause the transit record to be associated with a transit history
for the
active container.
[00101] Example 17
[00102] The system of one or more of Examples 11 through 16, further
comprising a
communication device configured to receive a set of transit data from the
active
container when the active container is on the structure, and an inventory
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management system configured to: (a) create a transit record comprising a
description of the time and location of the active container while on the
structure
and the set of transit data, and (b) provide the transit record to a remote
transit
management server.
1001031 Example 18
[00104] The system of Example 17, wherein the inventory management system
is further
configured to: (a) determine that a battery of the active container has
insufficient
power based on the set of transit data, and (b) provide an insufficient
battery
indication to the remote transit management server, wherein the insufficient
battery indication is configured to cause the remote transit management server
to
alter a transit plan associated with the active container.
[00105] Example 19
[00106] A system for providing power to an active container during transit,
the system
comprising: (a) a structure adapted to hold the active container, the
structure
comprising an external power source; and (b) an active container comprising.
(i)
a storage compartment; (ii) a temperature management system; (iii) a battery
configured to provide power to the temperature management system; and (iv) a
power supply comprising a power receiver, the power supply configured to
recharge the battery from the external power source when the power receiver is
coupled with the external power source; wherein the power receiver is
positioned
to couple with the external power source when the active container is placed
on
the structure.
[00107] Example 20
[00108] The system of Example 19, wherein the active container further
comprises a set
of placement guides positioned on an exterior of the active container and
adapted
to guide the active container into a coupling location when the active
container is
placed on the structure, wherein: (a) the external power source comprises a
wireless power source positioned proximately to the coupling location, (b) the
power receiver comprises a wireless power receiver, and (c) the wireless power
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receiver is positioned in the active container so that it automatically
couples with
the wireless power source when the active container is in the coupling
location.
1001091 Having shown and described various embodiments of the present
invention,
further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be
accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art
without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such
potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometrics,
materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are
illustrative
and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should
be
considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be
limited to
the details of structure and operation shown and described in the
specification
and drawings.
[00110] Example 21
[00111] An active container comprising: (a) a storage compartment adapted
to store
materials during transit; (b) a bridge connection device; (c) a memory
operable to
store information associated with transit of the active container; and (d) a
controller configured to control the operation of the bridge connection
device,
wherein the controller is further configured to: (i) establish a connection
between
the bridge connection device and a bridge provider when the bridge connection
device detects that the bridge provider is within connectable range of the
bridge
connection device, (ii) receive a set of transit data from the bridge provider
via
the bridge connection device, wherein the set of transit data originates from
a
data stream accessible by the bridge provider, and (iii) store at least a
portion of
the set of transit data on the memory.
1001121 Example 22
[00113] The active container of Example 21, further comprising a
temperature
management system operable to manage the temperature of the storage
compartment and a battery configured to power the temperature management
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system, wherein the data stream is an intemet connection, and wherein the
controller is further configured to: (a) transmit a set of temperature data
from the
temperature management system to a remote server via the bridge connection
device, wherein the set of temperature data describes a measured temperature
of
the storage compartment during transit, and (b) transmit a set of battery data
to
the remote server via the bridge connection device, wherein the set of battery
data describes a measured battery charge of the battery during transit.
[00114] Example 23
[00115] The active container of any of Example 21 through 22, wherein the
data stream
is output from a global positioning device, and wherein the portion of the set
of
transit data is a global positioning coordinate.
[00116] Example 24
[00117] The active container of Example 23, further comprising a tracking
system
operable to produce global positioning coordinates independently of the data
stream.
[00118] Example 25
[00119] The active container of any of Examples 21 through 24, wherein the
bridge
connection device is a low energy Bluetooth transceiver, and wherein the
bridge
provider is positioned with a vehicle adapted to transport the active
container.
[00120] Example 26
[00121] The active container of Example 25, further comprising a wireless
device
operable to access the data stream directly, and a battery configured to
operate
the wireless device and the low energy Bluetooth transceiver, wherein: (a) the
wireless device consumers more electricity during operation than the low
energy
Bluetooth Transceiver, and (b) the controller is further configured to disable
the
wireless device when a connection between the low energy Bluetooth transceiver
and the bridge provider has been established.
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[00122] Example 27
[00123] The active container of any of Examples 21 through 26, wherein the
controller is
further configured to: (a) receive an altitude indicator from a sensor of the
active
container, (b) determine, based upon the altitude indicator, that the active
container is located on an airplane during a communication restricted portion
of a
flight, and (c) disable a set of restricted devices during the communication
restricted portion of the flight, wherein the bridge connection device is
within the
set of restricted devices.
[00124] Example 28
[00125] The active container of Example 27, further comprising a wired
bridge
connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to: (a) when
the
set of restricted devices is disabled, establish a connection between the
wired
bridge connection device and the bridge provider, (b) receive the set of
transit
data from the bridge provider via the wired bridge connection device, wherein
the set of transit data originates, and (c) transmit a set of local transit
data via the
bridge provider to a remote server.
[00126] Example 29
[00127] The active container of any of Examples 21 through 28, further
comprising a
keypad positioned on the exterior of the active container and an automatic
lock
configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment,
the
keypad comprising a user input device and an alert indicator, wherein the
controller is further configured to: (a) determine whether an alert condition
exists
based upon the set of transit data, (b) when the alert condition exists,
provide an
alert indication via the alert indicator and, when the alert condition is
critical,
operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment, (c)
receive a set of input from the user input device, (d) determine whether the
set of
input is valid based upon the portion of the set of transit data, and (e) when
the
set of input is valid and when the alert condition is not a critical alert
condition,
operate the automatic lock to allow access to the storage compartment.
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[00128] Example 30
[00129] The active container of any of Examples 21 through 29, further
comprising an
automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the
storage
compartment, wherein the controller is further configured to: (a) determine a
current location of the active container based upon the portion of the set of
transit
data, (b) when the connection between the bridge connection device and the
bridge provider is lost, access a set of geofence data on the memory and
determine whether the current location is within the set of geofence data, and
(c)
when the current location is outside of the set of geofence data, operate the
automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment.
[00130] Example 31
[00131] A method for bridging an active container to a bridge provider, the
method
comprising: (a) placing the active container in a vehicle comprising the
bridge
provider, (b) connecting a bridge connection device of the active container to
the
bridge provider, wherein connecting the bridge connection device occurs
automatically based at least in part on the bridge connection device being
within
a threshold distance of the bridge provider, (c) receiving, at a controller of
the
active container, a set of transit data from the bridge provider via the
bridge
connection device, wherein the set of transit data originates from a data
stream
accessible by the bridge provider, and (d) storing at least a portion of the
set of
transit data on a memory of the active container.
1001321 Example 32
[00133] The method of Example 31, further comprising: (a) identifying an
alert that is
associated with the active container based upon the portion of the set of
transit
data, wherein the alert indicates a risk associated with the safe transit of a
material stored in the active container to a recipient, and (b) providing an
indication of the alert to a user via an alert indicator positioned on the
exterior of
the active container.
[00134] Example 33
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[00135] The method of Example 32, further comprising disconnecting the
bridge
connection device from the bridge provider, wherein the step of identifying
the
alert that is associated with the active container occurs after the step of
disconnecting the bridge connection device from the bridge provider.
1001361 Example 34
[00137] The method of any of Examples 32 through 33, further comprising:
(a)
determining that the alert is a non-critical alert, and (b) providing the non-
critical
alert to the user via the alert indicator.
[00138] Example 35
[00139] The method of any of Examples 32 through 34, further comprising:
(a)
determining that the alert is a critical alert, (b) providing the critical
alert to the
user via the alert indicator, and (c) operating an automatic lock of the
active
storage container to prevent access to a storage compartment of the active
container.
1001401 Example 36
[00141] The method of Example 35, wherein determining that the alert is a
critical alert
further comprises: (a) determine a current location of the active container
based
upon the portion of the set of transit data, (b) when the connection between
the
bridge connection device and the bridge provider is lost, access a set of
geofence
data on the memory and determine whether the current location is within the
set
of geofence data, and (c) determine that the alert is a critical alert when
the
current location is not within the set of geofence data.
[00142] Example 37
[00143] A data bridging system comprising: (a) an active container
comprising a storage
compartment adapted to store materials during transit, a bridge connection
device, a controller configured to control the operation of the bridge
connection
device, and a memory configured to store a set of local data associated with
the
active container, wherein the set of local data comprises a container
identifier;
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(b) a bridge provider configured to: (i) receive data from a global
positioning
data stream and an internet data stream, (ii) provide data to the active
container
via the bridge connection device, and (iii) transmit data received from the
active
container via the intemet data stream; and (c) a user device comprising a
display,
the user device configured to: (i) receive data from the intemet data stream,
and
(ii) store the container identifier; wherein the controller is configured to:
(i)
establish a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge
provider when the bridge connection device detects that the bridge provider is
within connectable range of the bridge connection device, (ii) receive a set
of
location data from the global positioning data stream and store the set of
location
data on the memory, (iii) create a container status based upon the set of
location
data and the set of local data, and (iv) transmit the container status to the
user
device based upon the container identifier, wherein the container status is
configured to cause the user device to display a location of the active
container
via the display.
[00144] Example 38
[00145] The system of Example 37, wherein: (a) the active container further
comprises a
temperature management system operable to track and maintain the temperature
of the storage compartment, (b) the set of local data comprises a set of
temperature data produced by the temperature management system, and (c) the
container status is configured to cause the user device to display a location
of the
active container and a temperature of the storage compartment via the display.
[00146] Example 39
1001471 The system of any of Examples 37 through 38, wherein the bridge
provider is
further configured to: (a) receive a set of geofence data associated with the
active
container via the interne data stream, (b) in response to the bridge
connection
device disconnecting from the bridge provider, determine a current location of
the active container, (c) determine whether the current location is within the
set
of geofence data, and (i) when the current location is within the set of
geofence
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data, provide an indication to the user device that the active container has
arrived
at its destination, and (ii) when the current location is not within the set
of
geofence data, provide an indication to the user device that there is a
problem
with the active container's delivery.
1001481 Example 40
[00149] The system of any of Examples 37 through 39, wherein the active
container
further comprises an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow
access to the storage compartment, wherein the controller is further
configured
to: (a) determine a current location of the active container based upon the
set of
location data, (b) when the connection between the bridge connection device
and
the bridge provider is lost, access a set of geofence data on the memory and
determine whether the current location is within the set of geofence data, (c)
when the current location is outside of the set of geofence data, operate the
automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment, and (d) when the
current location is inside of the set of geofence data, operate the automatic
lock
to allow access to the storage compartment.
[00150] It should be understood that any one or more of the teachings,
expressions,
embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or
more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. that are
described herein. For example, any of Examples 1-20 may be adapted and
combined with any one or more of Examples 21-40 and vice versa, in addition to
other exemplary combinations as described above. The following-described
teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. should therefore not be
viewed in isolation relative to each other. Various suitable ways in which the
teachings herein may be combined will be readily apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Such modifications and
variations
are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.
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